Odyssey_Park the 2nd
Fred Wood (13)
Wins in Colts should be enough to keep Newport off the bottom of the table assuming we don’t see any upsets in 1s for the rest of the year.
Sydney Subbies 2025
- Thread starter Lindommer
- Start date
Heavyd
Nicholas Shehadie (39)
I've got no doubt subbies will come up with something to keep Drummoyne up in Div 1 if the Club Champs begin to look a little too dire.
Odyssey_Park the 2nd
Fred Wood (13)
I believe that Subbies will be pushing for at least 8x7x7 in the top 3 divisions next year. How they get there I don’t know.
I don’t think Subbies will get caught with 6 team divisions next year.
footy_footy
Larry Dwyer (12)
Even finding 7 clubs to fill Div 2 seems like a long shot. I'm not sure how popular the mixed club fixtures are (i.e. Irish/Burraneer/Waverley or Hills/Colleagues Colts etc etc) but it must be a logistical nightmare for all involved. Are these arrangements the answer or a short-term fix? I don't know.
Could Div 1 become 10 clubs? It was voted down a few years ago but maybe it is the best answer - Petersham & UNSW are a cut above in Div 2 at the moment with only Briars providing any sort of close competition. St Pat's and Forest aren't the clubs they used to be but the question is whether this is a bad year or clubs on the slide? Again, I don't know
Pfitzy
Phil Waugh (73)
Or do we go to 12 and put Pats and/or Forest and/or Briars back in there as well?
As always, a lot of moving parts...
Heavyd
Nicholas Shehadie (39)
The promotion/relegation system is no longer remotely relevant. Most Clubs are desperately hanging on with dwindling player numbers year after year. Covid has fast tracked the decline. Shute Shield types smugly have thus far avoided this decline, but only via recruiting heavily from overseas & interstate too maintain numbers. But even that can no longer be maintained, clubs like Wildfires, Two Blues, Souths & West Harbour struggling to field required grades. Two blues colts are 0-30 and the once mighty Norths colts program are 4 from 45. None of this is sustainable.
It will require bravery and leadership from all rugby associations. It will face pushback & derision by administrators @ short sighted clubs as not our problem, “we have good numbers”. We know what the status quo looks like & we know it’s not sustainable.
Do we have Super subbies clubs?
Formal Partnerships with Shute shield clubs. Waverley/Randwick, Colleagues/Easts, Warringah/Newport, Gordon/Lindfield, Manly/Forest, Norths/Mosman, West Harbour/ Drummoyne?
or do you look geographical.
Example. Northern Comp. Mosman, Forest, Newport, Lindfield, Knox play each other twice, then take on other regions based on rankings. Selling to players every 2nd Saturday isn’t an hour drive across Sydney can only help player retention. Yep there are a million issues with the how, but I think we can all agree on the why.
It will require bravery and leadership from all rugby associations. It will face pushback & derision by administrators @ short sighted clubs as not our problem, “we have good numbers”. We know what the status quo looks like & we know it’s not sustainable.
Do we have Super subbies clubs?
Formal Partnerships with Shute shield clubs. Waverley/Randwick, Colleagues/Easts, Warringah/Newport, Gordon/Lindfield, Manly/Forest, Norths/Mosman, West Harbour/ Drummoyne?
or do you look geographical.
Example. Northern Comp. Mosman, Forest, Newport, Lindfield, Knox play each other twice, then take on other regions based on rankings. Selling to players every 2nd Saturday isn’t an hour drive across Sydney can only help player retention. Yep there are a million issues with the how, but I think we can all agree on the why.
Pfitzy
Phil Waugh (73)
Eastwood don't have a 4th Grade. And some of their lower grade guys are now turning up at Subbies clubs I believe.
Pfitzy
Phil Waugh (73)
At the Western Sydney Alliance meeting on Monday night this was a major talking point for the Junior clubs in particular
EddieJones1985
Stan Wickham (3)
Div two this week
Forest Vs Shammies
Forest have to get a win this week to stay in touch, they finish off with Uni away and Briars in the final round. Petersham could be impacted with players in Melbourne but they’ll get the job done. Shammies 29-19
Pats Vs Briars
Briars will be keen to bounce back after one of the all time bed shits to uni last week. They should get the win here with their backs running riot. 35-10 Briars
Uni Vs Irish
Another game that could be affected by the Lions test. Uni have the wood on Irish from the first two encounters and should get the job done. 38-12 Uni
Forest Vs Shammies
Forest have to get a win this week to stay in touch, they finish off with Uni away and Briars in the final round. Petersham could be impacted with players in Melbourne but they’ll get the job done. Shammies 29-19
Pats Vs Briars
Briars will be keen to bounce back after one of the all time bed shits to uni last week. They should get the win here with their backs running riot. 35-10 Briars
Uni Vs Irish
Another game that could be affected by the Lions test. Uni have the wood on Irish from the first two encounters and should get the job done. 38-12 Uni
Pfitzy
Phil Waugh (73)
McLean Cup Predictions Round 13
Some really interesting games here, with 3 of the 4 having a say in finals placement AND they're all for double points, being the first time the teams have met this year.
Canterbury (8) v Maccabi (7) - the two teams met last time at Burrows, where Maccabi handed out a fairly solid 31-15 win. Canterbury are yet to win this year and I don't expect that to change. Single points up for grabs.
Western Raptors (3) v Epping (5) - this match is an opportunity for Raptors to lock in third place or perhaps even fall out of the top four, depending on other results. I'll back them to take the win tho Epping have found an extra gear the last few weeks and will be pushing hard to jump into finals contention.
Harlequins (4) v Renegades (6) - new week, same old story with injuries and absences for Renegades. Harlequins got stunned by Epping's fast start last week, and had some absences of their own. I reckon they'll be too strong for us at Waterloo and probably lock in their own finals spot.
Hawkesbury Valley (2) v Redfield (1) - match of the round for fifth Division at least and maybe all of Subbies! The winner here is probably the minor premier. I expect a cracking game and I'm not really sure who will win... Going home side.
However, I think Redfield will still have enough points via their 2nd Grade to take Club Champions.
Games for R14 are:
Epping v Valley
Maccabi v Harlequins
Renegades v Canterbury
Redfield v Raptors
Table probably looks like this if my predictions are right:
Valley ~64
Redfield ~59
Raptors ~48
Quins ~47
Eppping ~33
Renegades ~23
Maccabi ~20
Berries ~1
Some really interesting games here, with 3 of the 4 having a say in finals placement AND they're all for double points, being the first time the teams have met this year.
Canterbury (8) v Maccabi (7) - the two teams met last time at Burrows, where Maccabi handed out a fairly solid 31-15 win. Canterbury are yet to win this year and I don't expect that to change. Single points up for grabs.
Western Raptors (3) v Epping (5) - this match is an opportunity for Raptors to lock in third place or perhaps even fall out of the top four, depending on other results. I'll back them to take the win tho Epping have found an extra gear the last few weeks and will be pushing hard to jump into finals contention.
Harlequins (4) v Renegades (6) - new week, same old story with injuries and absences for Renegades. Harlequins got stunned by Epping's fast start last week, and had some absences of their own. I reckon they'll be too strong for us at Waterloo and probably lock in their own finals spot.
Hawkesbury Valley (2) v Redfield (1) - match of the round for fifth Division at least and maybe all of Subbies! The winner here is probably the minor premier. I expect a cracking game and I'm not really sure who will win... Going home side.
However, I think Redfield will still have enough points via their 2nd Grade to take Club Champions.
Games for R14 are:
Epping v Valley
Maccabi v Harlequins
Renegades v Canterbury
Redfield v Raptors
Table probably looks like this if my predictions are right:
Valley ~64
Redfield ~59
Raptors ~48
Quins ~47
Eppping ~33
Renegades ~23
Maccabi ~20
Berries ~1
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Pfitzy
Phil Waugh (73)
Grose Cup Predictions Round 13
Much like the above, we've got 3 double points fixtures on the agenda for 3 out of 4 matches.
Canterbury (2) v Convicts (6) - was 10-19 to Berries at Burrows in R6 but I expect Berries to go up a notch at home to lock in a top 2 spot with a view to keeping the pressure on Redfield, 2 points ahead.
Western Raptors (4) v Epping (8) - Epping's 2s have been on a bit of a tear but I think the trip to PVH might be a bit too much.
Harlequins (5) v Renegades (7) - we'll be right on the edge of having a full XV but I think we can give it a shake
After all I'm probably starting again!
Hawkesbury Valley (3) v Redfield (1) - probably the game where Redfield's youngbloods wraps up a minor premiership. Up and down season for Valley tho so who knows?
Games for R14 are:
Epping v Valley
Convicts v Harlequins
Renegades v Canterbury
Redfield v Raptors
Predicted table if my predictions come to pass.
Redfield ~59
Berries ~52
Raptors ~44
Valley ~41
Quins ~36
Convicts ~30
Renegades ~27
Epping ~17
Much like the above, we've got 3 double points fixtures on the agenda for 3 out of 4 matches.
Canterbury (2) v Convicts (6) - was 10-19 to Berries at Burrows in R6 but I expect Berries to go up a notch at home to lock in a top 2 spot with a view to keeping the pressure on Redfield, 2 points ahead.
Western Raptors (4) v Epping (8) - Epping's 2s have been on a bit of a tear but I think the trip to PVH might be a bit too much.
Harlequins (5) v Renegades (7) - we'll be right on the edge of having a full XV but I think we can give it a shake
After all I'm probably starting again! Hawkesbury Valley (3) v Redfield (1) - probably the game where Redfield's youngbloods wraps up a minor premiership. Up and down season for Valley tho so who knows?
Games for R14 are:
Epping v Valley
Convicts v Harlequins
Renegades v Canterbury
Redfield v Raptors
Predicted table if my predictions come to pass.
Redfield ~59
Berries ~52
Raptors ~44
Valley ~41
Quins ~36
Convicts ~30
Renegades ~27
Epping ~17
Here To Do
Sydney Middleton (9)
Tell us how you really feel... yikes
Bismarck12345
Peter Burge (5)
49 unanswered points can’t be called much else
Pfitzy
Phil Waugh (73)
Norths forfeit Colts 3 again
Odyssey_Park the 2nd
Fred Wood (13)
Given there results it’s not hard to see why. Tough turning up every week and getting belted.
Colleagues II were right in with a shot of finals before they forfeited 5 games in a row. The Uni holiday/Lions period really put a drain on them. Crazily if they were to play this week they could still sneak into the Semis…